Pope Francis dies at 88: A life of devotion and reform
Pope Francis has passed away at the age of 88. Jorge Mario Bergoglio led the Catholic Church from March 13, 2013, until his death. The Argentine Jesuit was often ill toward the end of his papacy. His last serious health issues arose in early February 2025.
"Pope Francis died on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88 at his residence in the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta," reported the official Vatican News service.
Pope Francis remained with the faithful until the very end. On Holy Thursday, he maintained tradition by visiting a prison as a gesture of closeness, and he was present with the faithful on Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday.
Pope Francis passed away at the age of 88
On February 14, 2025, he was admitted to Rome's Gemelli Polyclinic with symptoms of severe bronchitis. Less than five days later, he was diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia.
Due to upper respiratory infections, which had increasingly troubled him in recent years, the Pope was also admitted to Gemelli at the end of March 2023. It was there, two years earlier, in July 2021, that he underwent intestinal surgery.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio began his papal service on March 13, 2013. At the time, the 76-year-old Argentine Jesuit was considered a compromise choice and, due to his age, a "transitional" pope. He took the name of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron of the poor and destitute.
From Buenos Aires to the Vatican
Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born in 1936 in a poor district of Buenos Aires to a family of Italian immigrants who had fled Benito Mussolini’s fascist regime. He was educated as a chemist and joined the Jesuit order at the age of 22. He had five siblings.
Bergoglio studied in Chile, Argentina, and the USA, where he learned philosophy, literature, and psychology. He was ordained a priest on December 13, 1969. From 1964 to 1965, he taught literature and psychology. From 1967 to 1970, he studied theology at the Faculty of Theology of Colegio Máximo San José in San Miguel. The future pope was appointed auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires in 1992. He became the archbishop of the diocese five years later. In 2001, John Paul II elevated him to the rank of cardinal, giving him the title of presbyter of San Roberto Bellarmino.
Close to the Holy See
In 2005, Bergoglio was considered one of the favorites for the Holy See. However, the conclave elected Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (Benedict XVI) as head of the Holy See, who resigned on February 11, 2013, citing declining health and lack of strength.
On March 13, 2013, during the second day of the conclave, in the fifth vote, Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope.
Pope Francis quickly made changes to the functioning of the papal institution. First and foremost, he chose not to reside in the usual residence, the Apostolic Palace, opting instead for an apartment in the Domus Sanctae Marthae. He spoke several languages: Spanish, Italian, German, French, Piedmontese, and English, and had some knowledge of Portuguese.
Has Pope Francis made a breakthrough?
Francis was the first pope not to take the name of any of his predecessors. He published three encyclicals. In "Laudato Si'," later called the "green encyclical," he strongly emphasized the importance of caring for the planet and its climate. The encyclical "Fratelli Tutti" focused on fraternity and social friendship. The first, "Lumen Fidei," addressed faith. Pope Francis also issued several exhortations and numerous documents, including apostolic letters and motu proprio.
He initiated the establishment of the Council of Cardinals. It was the first such body in the Vatican, and, like the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, it was meant to address the scandals of pedophilia in the Church.
As the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis found himself in a unique situation for years. His retired predecessor, Benedict XVI, lived within the Vatican until his death on December 31, 2022, residing in a former monastery building. Their meetings, including the first one right after the election in Castel Gandolfo, have become significant in Church history.
